How to Become a Nurse Practitioner: Steps for 2026

What are the steps to become a nurse practitioner?

There are four required gates: RN license, accredited graduate program, national certification and state APRN license. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) puts it plainly: APRNs "must have a registered nursing license, complete an accredited graduate-level program, pass a national certification exam, and have an APRN license" (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, updated August 27, 2026). An APRN, or advanced practice registered nurse, is an RN with graduate preparation in an advanced role; nurse practitioner is one of those roles, explained in our APRN guide.

Step 1: Become a registered nurse

Every NP route starts with an RN license. BLS describes three education paths to RN practice: "a bachelor's degree in nursing, an associate's degree in nursing, or a diploma from an approved nursing program" (BLS: Registered Nurses, updated August 27, 2026). The same page notes that RNs with an associate degree or diploma can complete an RN-to-BSN program, and that accelerated programs exist for people who already hold a bachelor's degree in another field.

After graduating, you take the NCLEX-RN, the licensure exam the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) develops and member boards use "to assist in making licensure decisions" (NCLEX-RN Test Plan, effective April 2026). The license itself comes from your state board.

Do you need RN experience first? We found no single national rule. Treat RN practice as a program-specific admission requirement, and ask each school in writing. Can you skip the BSN? Graduate admission rules belong to each program, so whether a program admits RNs without a bachelor's degree is a question for its admissions office. The program evaluation guide lists the questions to ask.

Step 2: Choose a population focus

Your NP program prepares you for one population focus, and that choice decides which certification exam you can sit. The 2022 standards of the National Task Force on Quality Nurse Practitioner Education (NTF), a group of national nursing organizations, list six: adult-gerontology (primary care or acute care), pediatrics (primary care or acute care), family/individual across the lifespan, neonatal, women's health/gender related, and psychiatric-mental health across the lifespan (NTF Standards, 6th edition, 2022).

Dermatology, cardiology and oncology are practice areas, not population foci, so an NP headed for one of them still certifies in one of the six.

Choose deliberately. Adding a focus later means more coursework and clinical hours, typically through a post-graduate certificate, a route both FNP certifying boards accept (Step 3). Compare three tracks side by side in FNP vs PMHNP vs AGACNP, or use the specialty finder to match a focus to the work you want.

Step 3: Finish an accredited MSN, post-graduate certificate or DNP program

You need a graduate NP program from an accredited institution, because the certifying bodies check it. The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) requires an FNP "master's, post-graduate certificate, or DNP" from a program accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), or the National League for Nursing Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation (NLN CNEA) (ANCC: FNP certification, opened October 6, 2026). The other FNP board is the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board (AANPCB), which now does business as the Nurse Practitioner Certification Board (NPCB). It requires a "graduate, postgraduate, or doctoral" FNP program "accredited by a nursing accrediting organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation" (NPCB FNP Candidate Handbook, updated June 2026).

Programs differ in clinical placement support. Ask whether the school finds your preceptors or expects you to, and read the preceptor guide before you sign an enrollment agreement.

How many clinical hours do NP programs require?

Two different numbers apply, and they come from different bodies. The NTF education standard, Criterion III.H, says each population focused track "has a minimum of 750 direct patient care clinical hours"; telehealth care can count, but "Simulation is not direct patient care" and does not (NTF Standards, final document issued February 2022). An NTF FAQ dated June 16, 2022 anticipated that the transition for programs would take 3 to 5 years, "with some outliers" (NTF FAQ), so ask each program whether its curriculum already meets the 750 hour standard.

Certification eligibility sets its own minimums:

The National Certification Corporation (NCC) also says that starting January 1, 2029, NPs must test within five years of their graduation date (NCC: 750 hours and 5 year rule). This table covers only the boards named; other exams, such as pediatric and acute care, have their own handbooks, so check the one for your focus.

Do nurse practitioners need a doctorate?

Not for certification as of October 2026: neither FNP certifying board requires a doctorate. On April 20, 2018, the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF) committed "to move all entry-level nurse practitioner (NP) education to the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree by 2025," and reaffirmed that position in April 2023 (NONPF: Reaffirming the DNP). The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) describes it as NONPF having "called for" the move (AACN DNP fact sheet, updated May 2026). It was a faculty organization's goal, not a licensing rule.

Both FNP boards still list master's and post-graduate certificate programs as eligible (Step 3 above), and BLS says NPs "typically need at least a master's degree" (BLS). State boards set their own APRN education rules, so confirm yours through the licensure checker.

Step 4: Plan how to pay for school after July 1, 2026

Federal borrowing for graduate school changed on July 1, 2026. Under the Department of Education's rule, "Beginning on July 1, 2026, a graduate student or professional student may not borrow a Direct PLUS Loan" (34 CFR 685.200). The exception covers students enrolled in a program as of June 30, 2026 who received a Direct Loan for that program before July 1, 2026, during their expected time to credential. For students outside that exception, Federal Student Aid lists annual Direct Unsubsidized limits of $20,500 for graduate students and $50,000 for professional students, with aggregate limits of $100,000 and $200,000 (FSA: Loan Limits FAQ, May 20, 2026).

Which limit applies to NP students is in litigation. After a federal court in Washington, D.C. stayed part of the professional degree definition on June 24, 2026, the Department said that during the stay it treats MSN, DNP and nurse anesthesia (DNAP) programs as professional degree programs, while warning that classification may change with the ongoing litigation (FSA electronic announcement GENERAL-26-42, posted June 29, 2026, updated July 10, 2026). The case is pending. Our student loan limits guide tracks it; your financial aid office and studentaid.gov decide your own award.

Step 5: Pass a national certification exam

Certification is the national board exam in your population focus. NPCB, for example, lets candidates test once all didactic coursework and clinical hours are complete, even if the degree is conferred later (NPCB FNP Candidate Handbook). For family nurse practitioners there are two boards:

• AANPCB, operating as NPCB. The American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board offers FNP, adult-gerontology primary care (AGNP), PMHNP and emergency (ENP) exams (NPCB, opened October 6, 2026). Its handbook calls the credential it awards the NP-C, a registered certification mark owned by NPCB. The handbook lets MSN and post-graduate certificate applicants apply up to 6 months before program completion and DNP applicants up to 12 months before, and FNP candidates "may test up to three (3) times per calendar year."
• ANCC. ANCC awards the FNP-BC. Its FNP Test Content Outline and reference list change effective October 30, 2026, with a 12 business day test suspension: candidates "may test before October 18th, or after October 30th." If you plan to test in October 2026, check your appointment against that window (ANCC: FNP certification).

Other foci have their own boards; NCC, for example, certifies neonatal and women's health NPs. The certification overview maps every credential to its board.

Step 6: Get your state APRN license, DEA registration and NPI

Certification alone does not let you practice. Licensure is state by state: your state board of nursing issues the APRN license or recognition, and its application, practice and supervision rules are its own. Start with the licensure checker for your state's requirements and its board.

• DEA registration. To prescribe controlled substances you register with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) as a mid-level practitioner, a category that includes nurse practitioners. The DEA requires "authority to dispense controlled substances under the laws of the state" first, and a separate registration in each state where you practice (DEA registration Q&A).
• NPI. A National Provider Identifier is "a unique 10-digit number used to identify health care providers," assigned through the CMS system called NPPES; HIPAA-covered providers must obtain one (CMS: NPIs, updated March 16, 2026).
• Credentialing. Your employer then verifies all of it at the source. The credentialing checklist lists the documents to assemble once.

Step 7: Find your first NP job

Start searching in your final year of school, because hiring, licensure and credentialing can run in parallel. BLS projects NP employment to grow 41% from 2025 to 2035 (BLS, August 27, 2026); that is a national projection, not a forecast for your town or specialty.

1. Decide whether you want structured onboarding. Fellowships and residencies offer supervised training in the first year of practice; compare them in our fellowship and residency guide.
2. Search roles that hire new graduates. The new grad NP jobs hub collects postings open to recent graduates; filter by specialty, setting and location.
3. Set an alert. Job alerts email you new postings that match your search, so openings reach you while you finish school and boards.
4. Ask about the start date. Ask every employer how long its credentialing usually takes and what happens to your start date if your certification or license arrives late.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to become a nurse practitioner?

It depends on where you start, and we found no national body that publishes a single figure. The total covers an RN license, any RN experience your program requires, a graduate program whose length the school sets (MSN, post-graduate certificate or DNP, full-time or part-time), then certification and a state APRN license. Ask each program for its published plan of study and expected completion date.

Do you need a DNP to become a nurse practitioner?

Not under the certification rules we checked in October 2026. ANCC accepts a master's, post-graduate certificate or DNP for FNP certification, and NPCB accepts graduate, postgraduate or doctoral FNP programs. NONPF set a goal in 2018 of moving entry-level NP education to the DNP by 2025, but that was a faculty organization's goal, not a licensing rule. Confirm your state board's education rule.

How many clinical hours do NP programs require?

The 2022 National Task Force standard calls for at least 750 direct patient care clinical hours per population focused track, with simulation excluded, and programs were expected to take 3 to 5 years to transition. Certification minimums differ: ANCC and NPCB require 500 supervised clinical hours for the FNP exam, and NCC requires 750 for NNP and WHNP applicants graduating after December 31, 2029.

Can you become a nurse practitioner without a BSN?

You need an RN license first, and BLS lists three routes to it: a bachelor's degree, an associate degree or a diploma. RNs with an associate degree or diploma can complete an RN-to-BSN program. Whether a graduate NP program admits an RN without a bachelor's degree is set by each program, so ask its admissions office directly.

What certification does a nurse practitioner need?

You need national certification in the population focus your program prepared you for. Family nurse practitioners can certify through AANPCB (operating as NPCB), whose handbook names its credential NP-C, or through ANCC, which awards the FNP-BC. Neonatal and women's health NPs certify through NCC, and other foci have their own boards. ANCC updates its FNP test content outline on October 30, 2026.

How do NP students pay for school after the 2026 loan changes?

Grad PLUS loans closed to graduate and professional students on July 1, 2026, except for some students who were already enrolled and had a Direct Loan for their program. Federal Student Aid lists new annual Direct Unsubsidized limits of $20,500 for graduate students and $50,000 for professional students. During a court stay, the Department treats MSN and DNP programs as professional, but that may change as the litigation continues. Your financial aid office can confirm your own limits.

Sources

• Bureau of Labor Statistics: Nurse Anesthetists, Nurse Midwives, and Nurse Practitioners (last modified August 27, 2026)
• Bureau of Labor Statistics: Registered Nurses (last modified August 27, 2026)
• NCSBN: NCLEX-RN Test Plan (effective April 2026)
• National Task Force: Standards for Quality Nurse Practitioner Education, 6th Edition (2022)
• National Task Force: NTF Standards FAQ (June 16, 2022; pages marked draft)
• NONPF: Reaffirming the Doctor of Nursing Practice Degree (April 2023)
• AACN: DNP Fact Sheet (updated May 2026)
• ANCC: Family Nurse Practitioner Certification (accessed October 6, 2026)
• NPCB: Nurse Practitioner Certification Board (accessed October 6, 2026)
• NPCB: FNP Candidate Handbook (updated June 2026)
• NCC: 750 Direct Patient Care Clinical Hours and 5 Year Testing Requirement (accessed October 6, 2026)
• eCFR: 34 CFR 685.200, Borrower eligibility (effective July 1, 2026)
• Federal Student Aid: Frequently Asked Questions, Loan Limits (May 20, 2026)
• Federal Student Aid: GENERAL-26-42, Update to List of Professional Degree Programs Due to Court Order (June 29, 2026, updated July 10, 2026)
• DEA Diversion Control Division: Registration Q&A (accessed October 6, 2026)
• CMS: National Provider Identifiers (updated March 16, 2026)